Method of manufacturing container closures



2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 Z1114 W m i 5 a w :M w 7:13 it w z W M l Ill J J [PM June 1938. J. J. WILLIAMS METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Sept. 5, 1936 x fig V June 7, 1938. J, w 1 s 2,119,662

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CONTAINER CLOSURES Filed Sept. 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5'9 a l 1 I ,25

T E /19 1 I 56 27 f072n J WzZZzam @zzam {WWW Patented June 7, 1938 um'rlzo STATES METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CONTAINER CLOSURES John J. Williams, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, Wheeling, W. Va., a. corporation of West Virginia ApplicationfSeptember 3: 1936, Serial 'No. 99,312 2 Claims. (Cl. 113-121) The invention relates to a method of manufacturing metal closures for containers, particularly closures having an incurled bead below the threads or other container engaging means.

The more important objects of the invention are to increase the rate of production of closures of this type, to reduce the cost thereof, and to reduce the number of steps required in the production of a closure of this type.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the out and draw die for forming the blank from sheet metal, the die being in elevated position.

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the die in lowered position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of a curling die; the die being in elevated position. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the same die, but in lowered position.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the blank 25 as formed by the cut and draw die.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the blank after an incurled bead has been formed by the curling die; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a com- 30 pleted cap.

Referring to the drawings in more detail numeral I indicates a fixed cutting ring having a cutting edge 2. indicated by numeral 3, and numeral 4 refers to a fixed drawing plug. 'Mounted for vertical reciprocatiorlds a die, referred to generally by numeral .5, which cuts the blank and shapes it. Numeral 6 refers to a clamping ring which is mounted on the die and is normally urged downward by coil springs I. When the die descends the clamping ring engages the metal strip 8 from which the blank is to be cut, an the peripheral edge 9 in cooperation with the cutting edge 2 cuts the blank, The apparatus for cutting the 4.5 blank is old, it does not per se form a part of the present invention, and need not be described in any detail.

The drawing plug 4 has a reduced upper cylindrical portion I 0, a shoulder II, and a larger 50 cylindrical portion [2 below the shoulder. The die has a cylindrical portion I3 to cooperate with the cylindrical portion l2 of the drawing or shaping plug, a shoulder 14 to cooperate with the shoulder H, and a cylindrical portion I5 to oo- 35 operate with the cylindrical portion l0. Thus A movable blanking ring is' after the blank has been cut the continued downward movement of the die causes the blank to be drawn and shaped to the shape of the plug. The blank thus shaped is referred to by numeral 16, and is shown in Figures 2 and 5. This blank has a skirt of two different diameters; the portion of the skirt which is of less diameter is referred to by numeral l1, and it is joined by a shoulder l8 to the portion IQ of the skirt which is of greater diameter.

The die 5 may be provided with an ejector pad 20, which is normally held in elevated position with respect to the die, by a coil spring 2| mounted on the pad stem 22. The ejector pad is shown in its elevated position with respect to the die in Figure 2, where the die is in its lowered position, and it will be noted that the pad does not contact with the blank. When the die is elevated the stem 22 eventually strikes a stop (not shown), thereby stopping the upwardmovement of the pad, and the continued upward movement of the die causes the blank to be ejected.

The blank having been shaped to the form shown in Figures 2 and 5, it is ready for the curling operation, which will now be described; reference being bad particularly to Figures 3 and 4. Numeral 23 refers to a plug which has its upper en'd'hollowed out to receive the blank l5, as shown in Figure 3; the blank having been inverted from the position in which it was formed. The plug 23 is provided-with an annular shoulder to support the shoulder l8 of the blank, and the enlarged skirt portion IQ of the blank projects freely upward, ready to be incurled.

Numeral 25 refers to a die holder which may be secured to the ram of an ordinary press (not shown) or to any other desired mechanism providing a reciprocating movement. Numeral 26 indicates va guide or centering ring which is attached to the guide holder, and which has a snug fit with the skirt portion l9 of the blank;

the lower end of the ring being preferably flared, as indicated by numeral 21.

The curling ring or die is referred to by numeral 28. is provided with a continuous annular groove 29, which in the form illustrated is substantially semi-circular in cross-section. Numeral 30 refers to a clamping and ejector pad which may be employed if desired. This pad has an upwardly extending stem 3l, and arranged about the upper end of the stem is a coil spring 32; the lower end of the spring being seated in the upper end of the die holder, and the upper end ofthe spring bearing against a washer 33. With- It is mounted in the the holder, and,

in the holder there is arranged about the stem 3| a heavy coil spring 34; the upper end of the spring bearing against the holder, and the lower end thereof bearing against a washer 35.

As the press descends the guide or centering ring 26 snugly fits around the cylindrical skirt portion I! of the blank, thereby supporting this skirt portion to prevent any outward bulging of the skirt when the die acts on the edge thereof. The clamping pad 30 now engages the base of the blank and firmly holds it in position. The pad now remains stationary but the curling ring or die moved from the die but it remains in the centering ring 26 because of the snug fit. As the upward movement of the holder continues the die ring 28 and washer 35 come together, whereupon the pad rises with the holder. During the continued upward movement the stem 3| of the pad strikes a stop (not shown) on the press. This causes the upward movement of the pad to .be stopped while the holder and its associated parts, including the centering ring, continue to rise, the spring 32 being compressed. The blank with the incurled bead is thus ejected from the centering ring. While I have describedin detail the specific apparatus disclosed here, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular apparatus, or to any apparatus for ejecting the blank after the curling of the head. So far as the step of incurling the bead is concerned, the only apparatus required is the plug to support the blank of this particular shape, a die having a continuous annular groove, and means for reciprocating the die.

The enlarged cylindrical skirt portion l9 has now been converted into an incurled bead 34, and it will be noted that this incurled bead pro- ,jects outwardly of the smaller skirt portion l1, so

that when the threads or other container attaching means, are formed in the skirt portion I! there ure 7, where the finished cap is referred to by numeral 39.

It will be apparent that by the method disclosed herein closures withan incurled bead and with threads or other container attaching means can be rapidly and enlciently manufactured, and that the number of steps involved in the manufacture are reduced to a minimum. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is in no manner limited to the particular apparatus shown and described.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of manufacturing single shell metal closures with an incurled bead, which comprises drawing in a single step a blank with a top and a plain cylindrical skirt portion and an enlarged plain cylindrical skirt portion below the first-mentioned portion, then curling the lower enlarged cylindrical portion into an incurled bead, and forming container engaging means in the upper cylindrical skirt portion.

2. The method of manufacturing singleshell metal closures with an incurled bead which comprises drawing in a single step a blank with a top and a plain cylindrical skirt portion and an enlarged plain cylindrical skirt portion below the first-mentioned portion, then curling the lower enlarged cylindrical portion into an incurled bead, and forming container engaging threads in the upper cylindrical portion. 

